00:00All right, we're a little over 24 hours since Jets head coach Aaron Glenn announced that he'd fired defense coordinator Steve Wilkes.
00:06Our New York Post sports columnist, Mark Cannizzaro, has spoken with some of the players about the firing and what we should expect from the Jets defense for the rest of the season.
00:16Mark, I say rest of the season like they've got like a whole half of the season left, but three games.
00:22But I want to talk to you because just last week you had an article out on the website titled the Jets should be Steve Wilkes' next one and done NFL stop.
00:34You spoke with some of the players on a Zoom call after the news was announced.
00:38What are they saying about the firing and interim defense coordinator Chris Harris?
00:44Well, Brandon, in truth, we had yesterday on the Zoom, we had one Jet defensive player and that was Harrison Phillips,
00:51who's been a pretty good leader on that defensive line and in that defensive room for the Jets.
00:57You know, he didn't really speak a lot about Wilkes, which I thought spoke some volumes.
01:02He was more, his message was much more about his belief in Aaron Glenn's vision going forward.
01:09So, you know, I didn't get a sense of, you know, the guys were sad that Wilkes is gone, although Wilkes, he's a nice man.
01:17But this is a guy that came to the Jets, I believe it was five consecutive one and done, you know, trips in the NFL, jobs in the NFL.
01:28He was, this was his, this was his 20, sorry, he's had 21 jobs in college and the pros since he started his coaching career.
01:38This is his 16th one and done.
01:40Now, obviously early in his career when he was college coaching, you know, he's trying to move up the ladder.
01:45That's a little bit of a different story.
01:47However, you know, he has not, I mean, this is a guy that was fired after one year with the 49ers as their, as their defensive coordinator after they went to Super Bowl.
01:55So that, you know, that's just, there's red flags there, you know, and the Jets just never really had an identity on defense.
02:01You know, there weren't a lot of guys that came out in public and talked about, you know, talked against Wilkes, if you will.
02:09But you could just tell by reading between the lines when you talk to the players that they're just not 100% believing in the system.
02:14It's not working.
02:15There's not a lot of adjustments being made.
02:18And you kind of saw that in games.
02:20The last two games in particular, you know, Wilkes was badly outcoached.
02:24I mean, the Miami game, Mike McDonald ran circles around him with his, you know, his 15 scripted plays to start the game.
02:30The Jets were up, they were down 21-0 before they could breathe.
02:33And then just this past week, I think the Jets went into that game believing that the Jaguars are going to run a ball down their throats because that's what the Jaguars' M.O. had been.
02:45And what do the Jaguars do?
02:47They play action, the Jets, to death.
02:49And they're, you know, I mean, the receivers are running wide open all over the place.
02:53No adjustments were made.
02:54The Jets have been horrible on play action all year long.
02:58So, these last two games are the last straw for Aaron Glenn.
03:01And I do like this move.
03:04Just nothing against Wilkes personally, but I like this move.
03:07They brought Chris Harris, elevated Chris Harris up, who's their defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator.
03:13He will be calling the plays.
03:15Glenn said he'll be assisting.
03:16But this is a chance for him to see what he can do to maybe put a little bit of a different stamp on this defense in the last three games.
03:23And it's an audition for him to get a chance to maybe be the full-time guy next year.
03:29An opportunity for everybody, both coaches and players, especially with players, having to put some better football out there on tape.
03:35So, let's look ahead a little bit.
03:37Do you have any early D.C. candidates for next season that you think Aaron Glenn could or should take a look at?
03:46Well, I mean, I think outside of, you know, Chris Harris, who's getting his chance now, there's a few guys.
03:51There's a former Jet safety named Jim Leonard who's on the Broncos staff, who's done some head coaching in college.
03:59You know, he's worked his way up the ladder.
04:02He certainly could be a guy who could be in the mix.
04:04And then you've got a couple of head coaches right now that are probably not going to be brought back.
04:09Raheem Morrison, Atlanta, is certainly a candidate for not being back to Atlanta as its head coach.
04:16And, you know, he's got, you know, traditionally a good defensive mind.
04:19He's done very well as a defensive coordinator.
04:21Another head coach is Jonathan Gannon with the Cardinals, who are a pretty bad team.
04:26You know, he has a defensive background, obviously.
04:28You know, those are some guys with some experience that I see, you know, that could be in the mix.
04:33But I am, I'm interested to see, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not expecting Chris Harris to work miracles starting Sunday in New Orleans.
04:40But I am interested to see a different look, maybe a different identity on defense these next three weeks.
04:47And he's an up-and-comer.
04:49He's young.
04:50He's a former, you know, NFL safety who's got a chance to put his stamp on this thing.
04:55So, you know, I'm kind of looking forward to seeing what happens in New Orleans.
04:59If we see a little bit of a different, a little more of a more passionate, aggressive defense than we've been seeing, you know, under Wilkes.
05:07I'm going to throw a name out there, Mark.
05:09Can you tell me if Aaron Glenn should kick the tires on this one?
05:13And I know he has a long history with the New York Giants, but what about Antonio Pierce?
05:18Could you see them kind of taking a look at him as a possible D.C. candidate?
05:23I don't see why not.
05:26You know, it didn't go well for him as a head coach, obviously, with the Raiders.
05:31I expect that he'll get an interview with the Giants for their head coaching job.
05:34So that would probably be in the mix for him as well.
05:38But if he's deemed not ready to be a head coach, I don't believe, I don't believe I'm quite certain that he does not have any kind of prior history with Aaron Glenn.
05:48But that doesn't mean, you know, he shouldn't be, you know, looked at.
05:51I mean, Steve Wilkes had no prior history with Glenn either.
05:54I think Glenn, quite frankly, I think he hired Wilkes in large part because Wilkes had some head coaching experience.
06:00Glenn's a rookie head coach.
06:02You know, Tanner Engstrand, his offensive coordinator, is a first-time coordinator, as is or was Chris Banjo, his special teams coordinator.
06:10So I think there was an element to that, to why Steve Wilkes, you know, he's an older coach, you know, who's had some experience in the league, albeit maybe not very successful.
06:19But, yeah, I don't see any reason why Antonio shouldn't be a candidate as well.
06:24I mean, he's obviously been out, you know, since the Raider experience, and that kind of went south, unfortunately.
06:31But, listen, I think every door should be opened and checked into on the part of the Jets and on the part of Glenn because this has been a defensive disaster this season.
06:42I mean, you know, Aaron is a, you know, he's a defensive coach.
06:45You know, he cut his teeth, obviously, as the Lions' defensive coordinator.
06:49That's why he was brought in here.
06:50You know, he helped turn that line defense around from, you know, bottom of the league to, you know, to much better.
06:58They were never a top defense in the league, but, you know.
07:01But, listen, I think Aaron is a good leader, but he needs some more strength around him.
07:06And, you know, it'll be fascinating to see how this all unfolds.
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